To our readers,

Thank you for reading us today — in print or online.

We understand that your time is precious, and we appreciate when you spend it with us.

I’ve been an editor here since 1981, and the executive editor for a year.

Today, I want to share with you my sense of our past, and some sense of our promise.

These are challenging days. The economy is pushing companies and institutions to find new opportunities, to reduce costs, to redefine products. We in the news media are facing the same pressures and choices that you are in your place of business.

Yet, to borrow from Mark Twain, the reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.

In the newsroom at The Providence Journal and projo.com, we are focused on our future, and our future is the news.

The Providence Journal is a special newspaper, not only for the quality of its journalism, which has been acclaimed, but for its place in history. We are the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in America, dating to 1829. We are a cornerstone of journalism and a cornerstone of Rhode Island.

We are proud of our tradition, and we are proud of our ability to adapt — to our readers and to technology. We started an afternoon newspaper to cover the Civil War. We used a precursor of the Pony Express to bring you coverage of Andrew Jackson’s inauguration. We shouted out news of Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight through megaphones to crowds assembled in the streets of Providence. We used satellite phones to report on gun battles in Iraq.

Now, 180 years into this endeavor, we are reinventing ourselves as never before.

In fact, we are no longer just a newspaper — we are much more.

On any given day, we assign some 80 reporters and photographers to cover news, features and sports, guided and supported by a network of editors, producers, assistants and technicians. In all, our newsroom roster totals 163.

Our work appears in print 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Our work also appears online — 24 hours a day. Especially during weekdays, when the biggest Web audience is waiting, our reporters and photographers are posting news, photos and video on projo.com. Our mission is simple: “Web first.” Our “7 to 7 Breaking News Blog” is the premier daytime source of news in the region. Online readers — by the hundreds, sometimes by the thousands — contribute to the community dialogue through our online surveys and comment opportunities.

Meanwhile, we have revamped our approach to news coverage. We have reorganized our main newsroom into five key desks, each directed by an assistant managing editor, and all designed to report with depth and consistency on the Rhode Island news that we know matters most to you.

The reporters on the Breaking News Desk, directed by Alan Rosenberg, are the first responders. Indeed, our entire staff is committed to our breaking news initiative — you’ll see many other bylines on the 7to7 — but the Breaking News Desk is the front line. They are savvy, fast and accurate. They strive to fulfill our implicit pledge as a news Web site: when you come to projo.com on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., you will find the most complete, up-to-date news report available in southern New England. The Breaking News reporters are Maria Armental, Kate Bramson, Richard Dujardin, Amanda Milkovits, Tom Mooney, Tom Morgan, Donita Naylor and Tatiana Pina.

The Public Policy Desk covers the workings of government and politics. They ask the tough questions in places like the State House, City Hall and the U.S. Capitol. The Public Policy reporters, directed by Tim Murphy, are Lynn Arditi, Randal Edgar, Ed Fitzpatrick, Katherine Gregg, Phil Marcelo, John Mulligan, Cynthia Needham, Steve Peoples, Mike Stanton and Karen Lee Ziner.

The Justice Desk covers the judicial system, from crimes, to courts, to prisons. They have the expertise to cover justice — and injustice. The Justice reporters, directed by Jack Khorey, are Tracy Breton, Talia Buford, John Hill, Bill Malinowski, Mike McKinney, Katie Mulvaney, Mark Reynolds and Greg Smith.

The Commerce and Consumer Desk, directed by John Kostrzewa, reflects an evolution of our traditional commitment to business coverage. This desk has the expertise to cover the news that you need to get ahead — or keep up — in the economic turbulence of the 21st century in Rhode Island. The Commerce and Consumer reporters are Neil Downing, Christine Dunn, Gene Emery, Benjamin Gedan, Paul Grimaldi, Alex Kuffner, Bruce Landis, Paul Parker, Barbara Polichetti, Andy Smith and Lisa Vernon-Sparks.

The Futures Desk covers the range of topics that, frankly, demand attention if we are to have a future — in Rhode Island or anywhere else on the planet: education, environment, health and medicine. These journalists, directed by Dave Reid, have expertise and experience unmatched in this region: Linda Borg, Paul Davis, Felice Freyer, Jennifer Jordan, Bob Kerr, Peter Lord, Gina Macris, Stephanie McKenna, G. Wayne Miller, Alisha Pina and Rich Salit.

I expect that you recognize many of the names of these reporters and editors. We are an experienced staff, many of whom have worked for The Providence Journal for most of our careers. But you also recognize the names because we are your friends and neighbors. It’s our job to report the news, to write the first draft of history, to tell the story of Rhode Island. That’s how we make a living. But make no mistake: we, too, have a stake in how this story turns out. We are in this with you.

We have adapted over 180 years, and we are adapting again in a new century, in a new era of information. We are building on our strengths, transforming our skills into coverage and technologies that will keep you informed. The business of the news media has become as complex as your field of endeavor: just when we have the answers, they change the questions.

But some things never change — such as this news organization’s commitment to public service, to accuracy, to our readers.

We know what you demand from The Providence Journal and projo.com. This is the news organization that sets the public agenda. This is the news organization that holds officials accountable. This is the news organization that helps Rhode Island navigate the tough times and celebrate the good times. This is the news organization of history. This is the mirror. This is the big picture. This is the Hope.

We are here. Very much alive.

Thomas E. Heslin

Executive Editor